Karnataka High Court Halts Investigation Against Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Land Case
The Karnataka High Court has put a temporary stop to the probe against spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in a land encroachment case. Justice M Nagaprasanna issued the stay order, noting that there appear to be no clear allegations against the petitioner at this stage.
Court Questions Basis of Investigation
Justice Nagaprasanna observed that Sri Sri Ravi Shankar cannot be dragged into criminal proceedings without specific evidence of direct involvement. The court made this clear during a hearing on the spiritual leader's petition to quash the FIR registered against him.
The judge stated, "A perusal of the complaint would prima facie indicate no allegations against this petitioner. Without any allegations, the petitioner cannot be drawn into the web of crime."
The court emphasized that the special public prosecutor must present something on record to show direct involvement before proceeding further.
Procedural Background of the Case
The case originated from a public interest litigation alleging large-scale encroachment of public land in Bengaluru's Kaggalipura Village area. The Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force Police registered the FIR following directions from the high court in this PIL.
Special Public Prosecutor Sri Belliappa argued that the authorities followed proper procedures in registering the case. He noted that Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's name appeared as a respondent in the PIL, which led to the criminal case being filed.
The prosecutor maintained that the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force committed no procedural errors in handling the matter.
Previous Court Proceedings
Earlier, Justice Nagaprasanna had refused to grant relief to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, stating that the court couldn't pass protective orders without examining case records. The court had initially declined to stall the investigation, noting it wouldn't be proper to intervene without seeing the complete documentation.
However, after reviewing the complaint, the court found insufficient grounds to continue the investigation against the spiritual leader at this juncture.
Legal Provisions and Next Steps
The case was registered under Section 192A of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964. This section prescribes imprisonment and fines for unlawful occupation of government land.
The court's order specifically states that "investigation qua the petitioner shall remain stayed, till the next date of hearing." The matter is scheduled to come up for further hearing on January 21.
This development represents a significant interim relief for Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, though the final determination of the case awaits future proceedings.
